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TR: yk/rkkwan + parents' 2-week mostly Swiss sojourn; Sept 2010

PREFACE
Last month, my brother (rkkwan) and I traveled to Switzerland with our parents for a 2-week trip.

I'm not sure how this TR will turn out. I will mostly be the narrator here, as rkkwan has deferred to me as the "trip reporter." But I'm sure he'll butt in and correct me whenever I post something incorrect.

This mostly Switzerland trip is all about natural scenery and places that are meaningful to our parents (which you'll find out why shortly). I will try to post photo links of shots I took within the trip report. Rkkwan took thousands of photos on this trip; I assume it'll take him a while to get them sorted and he'll post his links at a later date.

I will also try to refrain from being too verbose, which I'm known for. We'll see how it goes.

PROLOGUE
This story began 40 years ago, in 1970. Our parent had just gotten married in late July. Shortly after, they embarked on a month-long honeymoon in Europe. One of the stops on that trip was Switzerland. It was the first time our mom set foot in Europe, at age 27. Our dad, OTOH, had spent 6 years in Germany then UK for his graduate and post-grad studies during the late 50s and early 60s. He had visited Switzerland a number of times then.

Between 1970 and 2010, they have been back to Switzerland only once, in 1981, with rkkwan and me in tow.

We thought it was fitting to go on a trip to Switzerland together as a family for their 40th wedding anniversary.

We were in Switzerland for 14 days/13 nights. We flew into Geneva and out of Zurich.

[IAD/EWR/GVA, ZRH/EWR/IAH on Continental for rkkwan and our parents, as they live in Houston;
BOS/JFK/MAD/GVA, ZRH/LHR/JFK on a combo of AA/IB/BA for me - complicated story]

Our itinerary
Days 1-3: Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux; then Golden Pass train to Interlaken
Days 4-6: Based in Interlaken. One day for Luzern/Mt Rigi/Bern; one day for Brienz/Ballenberg; one day for Jungfraujoch (rkkwan & our parents). I did some hiking instead.
Day 7: Glacier Express from Visp to Celerina (town right before St Moritz)
Day 8: Bernina Express from Celerina to Tirano, then onward to Lugano
Day 9: Lugano and environs
Day 10: Bellinzona, drove up St Bernardino Pass, then onto Heidiland
Day 11-12: Eastern Switzerland with brief visits to Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany
Day 13: Zurich
Day 14: depart for US

From Day 2 through Day 9, we used the 8-day consecutive Saver SwissPass (320 CHF per person for 2nd cl). From Day 10 thru Day 13, we had a compact rental car for 72 hours.

Some of our trip highlights documented by rkkwan
[Information provided by rkkwan will be posted in italics]

• One aerial tramway: the Weggis-Rigi Kaltbad aerial cableway.
• One subway: M2 line in Lausanne (the only city in Switzerland with a subway system)
• One international border crossed on foot: Italy to Switzerland at Ponte Tresa, Lake Lugano.
• Two paddle steamers: Savoie on Lake Geneva, built 1914; and Uri on Lake Luzern, built 1905.
• Three funiculars: Two at Monte Brè, one at the train station. All in Lugano.
• Four lakes cruised on Seven boats: Savoie & Ville de Geneve (Lake Geneva); Brienz (Lake Brienz); Uri (Lake Luzern); Ceresio, Morcote and Milano (Lake Lugano)
• Five UNESCO World Heritage Sites visited: St Gall, Berne, Bellinzona, Jungfrau & Rhaetian Railway.
• Five cog railways: two at Mt Rigi and three at Jungfrau.
• Six countries visited: Switzerland, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria & Germany.
• Eighteen of the 26 Cantons visited or at least transversed.
• Forty MPG from the VW Golf TDI we rented for 3 days. Used only 40 liters for 700km. 1.719CHF/liter (diesel)

Money/Costs
During our visit, 1 CHF = 1 USD

Many NON-food items cost about the same as US, eg, bus rides, museum admissions. However, food is very expensive in Switzerland. The average main dish costs in most sit-down restaurants is 30-40 CHF. That's not because restaurants over charges the customers. The fact is, food prices are high even in supermarkets. Most of the things we saw at supermarkets are 40%-100% more than US supermarkets.

Examples of food prices observed by rkkwan:5.8CHF for a small latte at Starbucks.
11.3CHF for a Big Mac meal at McD.
2.9 to 4CHF for a Magnum ice cream bar (similar to Dove Bar).
~18CHF for a roast chicken sold at a roadside carts.
3CHF a kilogram of bananas at supermarkets.
19.5CHF for a bowl of Cantonese noodles in Zurich.

There are 2 exceptions though: local Swiss cheese and Swiss chocolates. Both are significantly cheaper there.

Eg, Appenzeller cheese was 2.20 CHF/100gm. The same cheese sells for $16/lb at my local produce store in Boston.
The most basic, generic brand milk chocolate bar (100gm) was $0.45 CHF. A 100-gm generic brand 60% dark chocolate bar was under $1.50 CHF.

Advanced Bookings
There were several things we booked in advance of our trip. Apart from basic things such as lodging and rental car, I have booked in advance
• Opera tickets at Grand Théâtre de Genève
• Seat reservations on Glacier Express train, and on the Tirano->Lugano leg on Bernina Express bus

In contrast, the Bernina Express reservation can also be done online in advance, but you do not pay until you pick up your "seat reservation ticket" at an SBB ticket office. The BE train from St Moritz to Tirano reservation costs 12 CHF, and the BE bus from Tirano to Lugano reservation costs another 12 CHF.http://www.rhb.ch/Bernina-Express.33.0.html?&L=4

Weather
We were fortunate for the most part. We had beautiful weather during the middle segment of our trip when we had lots of scenic train and boat rides, and ascending to mtn tops.

It was overcast during our first couple of days, and towards the end of our trip, we encountered heavy downpours one day.

On average, temperatures were in the 60sF. It was warmest on sunny days in Lugano where it was over 70F. The coldest was in the mid 40sF the day we went to LI/Austria/Germany.

That's wonderful that you and your brother took your parents for their 40th wedding anniversary. Our family is sort of in the early, early planning stages of a possible trip to Europe for our parents 40th anniversary also. They have never been to Europe, and my mom has dreamed of going to Europe for years. I hope you don't mind me asking you lots of questions along the way!

Thank you for all your encouraging words here, and thanks for being patient! It's been rather hectic since I got back, and I still have to sort out my photos. I'll try to get the next installment up later today.

P.S. I also would like to thank many of the Fodorites here, whom have helped me with trip planning. And thank you to those of you who have posted Switzerland trip reports in the past - they often have invaluable information not available in guidebooks!

Armed with my free ticket, I exited customs and followed the sign for trains. There is a train station located right at the airport, and ALL trains stop at Geneva's main train station (Gare de Cornavin). The ride to Gare de Cornavin is only 6 minutes. This is so convenient (both the free ticket and the train) that I can't think of any other city more tourist-friendly than Geneva!

-----------------------------------------Hotel
Our hotel in Geneva is Hotel Sagitta, located in the Left Bank near the Museum of Natural History, about 1/2 mile from the English Garden/waterfront. I picked this because it's one of the more affordable hotels that is not located in the Red Light District. Plus, all rooms come with a kitchenette. I booked a 1BR/1BA apartment for 4. This is the most expensive lodging we stayed at on our trip.

Half a block from the hotel is a tram stop (with direct tram line to the train station); another 50 ft farther is a Migros supermarket. All-in-all, very convenient. The hotel sits on a quiet side street with very little noise at night.

I found the correct tram stop (line #16) at the train station and took it to Hotel Sagitta without difficulty. R and our parents were resting in our 1BR apt already. After I settled in and freshened up, we headed out for lunch. We ate at La Casa Pizzeria not far from our hotel. Among us, we shared a pizza, a pasta dish, a steak frites, and a salad. Our bill was 86 CHF.

Just want to comment on the free transport ticket from the airport. That is really civilized. Authorities around the world only ASKS people to use public transit, but how about actually doing something like Geneva and its airport to offer people free public transit?

Anyways, before yk arrived, my parents and I went out to walk along Lake Geneva as our room wasn't ready. It was around 9:40a, and the Jet d'Eau wasn't on. We walked all the way out on the jetty before my mom started to worry about what if the jet turns on suddenly? Well, turned out there is a schedule posted which we just didn't care to look at before walking out. And the jetty actually is open all day long. Only a barrier stops people to get to the jet from about 20 feet away.

Well, after we walked back to shore, we found that in September, the jet starts at 10am. We had a few minutes to spare before getting ourselves wet.

Day 2
After the buffet breakfast at the hotel, we rode the tram to Geneva's main train station to buy our 8-day consecutive Swiss Saver Pass. Although 320CHF pp seems rather pricey, we soon found out it was a good investment and we made the most out of it during the next 8 days. Not only the Swiss Pass covers all train rides (with a few exceptions), it also allows free rides on public transport in 30+ Swiss cities, and free admissions to over 400 nationwide museums.

We stopped for picnic lunch on the City Hall plaza - there were numerous take-out places nearby. Mom and Dad shared a doner kebab, rkkwan had a sandwich, and I had a salad. We shared several petite dessert tarts. Lunch was 30 CHF.

A lesson we learned on the ferry - although Swiss trains are very punctual, it's not the case for ferries. Over the next 10 days, we discovered that the lake ferries tend to run late, especially when there are lots of sightseeing tourists who take their time getting on and off!

P_M, I suggest you to get into your car and drive yourself to a Central Market; then load up your shopping cart with Swiss chocolates and Swiss Cheese. Both have been proven scientifically to combat depression.

--------------------
One quick word about Luggage before I continue:
We travel light; very light in fact, which was key for the trip since we moved around a lot and used mostly public transport (except for the last few days w/a rental car). rkkwan and I each had a 19" rollaboard and a small day bag. Our parents each had a 17"/18" rollaboard. It would have been difficult for us to travel the way we did if we had large & heavy suitcases.

Day 3
We checked out of our Geneva hotel and took an early train to Montreux. We stowed our luggage at a locker in the Montreux train station (the largest size fits all 4 of our suitcases; 8 CHF/24hrs).

Despite overcast skies, we can still tell Montreux is a lovely lakeside resort. Just like Ouchy but of a bigger scale, the lakeshore is studded with grand hotels one after another. Because it is shielded from cold winds by the mountains, Montreux and surrounding towns are known as the Swiss Riviera. Many writers and famous people have stayed here, including Stravinsky, Bryon, Shelley, Tolstoy just to name a few. We strolled along the lakeside promenade for close to an hour, before returning to the pier to catch a ferry to Chateau de Chillon. My only disappointment is that there are tented stalls set up on the promenade selling cheap goods. Not only the tents and products are a distraction, they also block the gorgeous, million-dollar lake view.http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Switzerland%20Sept%202010/IMG_6085.jpghttp://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Switzerland%20Sept%202010/IMG_6086.jpg

Even though the chateau didn't look that big from the outside, we spent over 90 minutes touring the interior. We could easily spend more time here, however our schedule was tight and we had to return to Montreux for our onward journey.

We caught the No. 1 bus (stop located across the street) back to Montreux. The bus runs every 10 minutes and the ride takes 10 minutes. We had limited time for lunch, so we grabbed some sandwiches from a kiosk inside the train station (34 CHF). We then retrieved our luggage and boarded the 1:45pm GoldenPass line to Interlaken.http://www.goldenpass.ch/default.asp?OrgID=6

We arrived on the GoldenPass train at Interlaken-West station just before 5pm. To our delight, Veronica, the owner of Swiss Inn, was awaiting us at the station with her van. We very much appreciated this nice gesture, even though we could have easily walked the short distance with our luggage (5-min walk).

Hotel
We booked a 2BR/2BA apartment at Swiss Inn. It turned out to be quite wonderful, and it looks better than the photos posted on the hotel's website. The kitchen is very well-equipped so we had no trouble making breakfasts and cooking dinners there. Our apartment is in a separate building from the main Inn, so it is very quiet and we weren't disturbed by other guests. In the basement of the main building are coin-op washers and dryers which we used to do laundry during our stay.

As mentioned above, the Inn is a 5-min walk from Interlaken-West train station. Across the station is a large Migros supermarket. We thought the Inn is ideal for us as we planned to make several day trips during our stay.

The owners, JP & Veronica, are wonderful hosts. They are helpful when needed, but they aren't in-your-face friendly.

After we settled in, we headed back out to stretch our legs a bit in town, then went grocery shopping at Migros to stock up on food for the next 4 days.

Enjoying your double reporting. And how fun to have the opportunity to take your parents on a trip with you both. We did the same sort of thing a few years back with my folks, and to this day, my dad (now 85) still talks about it being the best days of his life! Good times for sure.

yk, I'll be interested to read if you took/enjoyed your walk from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen. I checked out part of the trail when we were there a couple weeks ago, and it certainly looked walkable.

And as for you my dear P_M - there's a bar of Swiss chocolate in my cupboard just for you! Let's have lunch before I eat it all myself!!

We had 3 full days in Interlaken (Sat/Sun/Mon). We decided to save Jungfraujoch for Monday as Monday is expected to have the best weather among the 3 days.

So, on this cloudy Saturday, we chose to visit the Ballenberg Open Air Museum. Ballenberg is located several miles east of Brienz. To get there, we first took the train to Brienz, then changed for a local bus to Ballenberg (15-min ride; free with SwissPass). All buses that go to Ballenberg stop at both the West and the East entrances.

It appears that everyone on the bus was visiting the museum too. Most got off at the West entrance, and so did we. Again, our Swiss Pass got us into the museum for free (normal admission 20 CHF pp), but I paid 2 CHF for a map.http://www.ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome

I don't remember which guidebook said to "allow 3 hours" for Ballenberg. One can easily spend 2 full days here! This place is huge. Spread over 163 acres, representative old buildings of each Swiss region are clustered in groups. Most of the houses are at least several hundred years old; the oldest one dates from the 1300s.

Many of the buildings are farm houses: one-half of the house is living quarters for the family, the other half is a barn for animals and storage space for farm equipments. Almost all the buildings are open for touring, and many are furnished. Visitors are free to roam around as nothing is roped-off. I was rather shocked to see the Swiss tourists touching the furniture, opening drawers, picking up bowls and plates etc. Such actions would have never been allowed in the historic houses in the US!

My preconception of "all houses in Switzerland look the same" was quickly debunked here. One can really appreciate the different architecture styles of various Swiss regions.

We stopped for lunch in the cafeteria within the Ticino region. Not surprisingly, the menu is Italian. There are several other restaurants scattered throughout the grounds. After lunch, we were able to find the building where fresh cheese is made the traditional way. We bought a 100gm piece for 2 CHF. 4+ hours later, we exited the museum via the East entrance; I estimated that we covered about 80% of the complex. We could have stayed longer, but after a while, all the buildings and interiors turn into one big blur.

We took the bus back to Brienz (note: the bus runs only 1x/hour in the afternoon, so make sure you check the bus schedule before you enter the museum). Although Brienz is known for wood-carving, we found very few shops/workshops selling it.

2. The very infrequent 15-minute ferry from Montreux to Chillon seems silly, but if you can arrange your time to do it, it's very worth the trouble as you can see the Chateau from the lake side.

3. On yk's comment about how green the Swiss countryside looks, our GoldenPass train transverse briefly the upper Grueye valley in the canton of Friboug. That's where the famous cheese comes from, and the lush green valleys are dotted with milk cows. [Some of you may already know, but dairy cows in Switzerland are brown, or brown/white. Not black or black/white.]

4. One very cool thing about Ballenberg is that it allows dogs. You'll see lots of locals visiting with their dogs. There are signs to tell the owners to leash up - like when there are farm animals nearby. I think that's very very cool.

5. Lake Brienz is very pretty. Looking at the photos of the various lakes we cruised on, the water looks most blue there.

Yup, that's rkkwan's idea of fun: by the end of the day, we would have ridden on SEVEN trains (2 of which are cog railways), 1 paddle steamer, 1 aerial cableway, and 1 trolleybus. All "free" of course, courtesy of our Swiss Pass.

Well, it all started with our Dad. The other night, he was reading the brochure that came with our Swiss Pass. There is a mention that all Mt Rigi's transport are now free to Swiss Pass holders. This is unusual, as all Swiss mountain companies only offer 50%-off to Swiss Pass passengers.

Since we were planning to head to Luzern anyway, rkkwan and I pored over the various train/ferry/cablecar schedules the night before, and came up with a ridiculous itinerary that would only delight people who literally "enjoy the ride".

The 2 lines began construction in the 1860-70s. The Vitznau-Rigi line was completed first and in 1871, became the very first mountain railway in operation in Europe. The Arth-Rigi line opened a few years later.

After figuring out all the logistics, we began our day by taking the train from Interlaken to Arth-Goldau, via Luzern. 2 changes are required, and the segment from Interlaken to Luzern is part of the GoldenPass line.

At Weggis, we boarded Uri, a 1901 paddle steamer, for Luzern. Uri is the oldest Swiss paddle steamer still in regular service. The ferry ride on Lake Luzern took just under one hour, and we arrived Luzern at 3pm.http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/timetables-fares.html

9:04-11:04 IR 2215 Interlaken Ost to Luzern (ZB, meter-gauge; cog in portion)
The final section of the GoldenPass line. The train reversed direction at Meiringen, then climbed over the Brünig Pass with cogs. Our train doesn't say GoldenPass on the outside, just Die Zentralbahn.

11:18-11:44 IR 2169 Luzern to Arth-Goldau (SBB, standard gauge)
Regional train to Locarno. Lots of people get off at Arth-Goldau to connect to Cisalpino service down to Milan.

12:10-12:47 R 141 Arth-Goldau RB to Rigi Kulm (Rigi-Bahnen, standard guage cog railway)
One of two cog railway lines to top of Rigi.

13:00-13:13 R 1128 Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad (Rigi-Bahnen, standard guage cog railway)
We rode the other line down to connect to aerial tramway.

I took my parents to Switzerland in July (well, 10 nights in Italy and 5 nights in Switzerland) and 4 of our nights were spent in the Berner Oberland. We did some hiking (and Dad had broken his hip in March! He held up like a champ...) and we were all wowed by the Jungfraujoch and Trummelbach Falls. I think you did that as well (if I recall from your planning here) - did you stand inside the falls and just close your eyes to feel the rumbling power? It was awe inspiring!

Meant to say something about wishing I could travel light the way you seem to be able to do. DH always has 2 suitcases (hardsiders) and I always seem to fill one big one, with a couple of 'extra' folded up satches inside! Not good for your type of travel. We always have a car.

Hi all, I really appreciate all your comments, and I'm glad you are enjoying my amateur photos. Wait until you see the ones taken by rkkwan, then you'd realize mine are no good.

flygirl, the "hiking day" is next to follow.

Sandy (in Denton), thanks for your kind words. Remember you helped me out too? Last year when we stayed at YOUR apt in Berlin!

Carol, enjoy your trip in November! Regarding luggage, because I travel solo a lot, I need to pack light and be able to handle my own luggage. Since we have access to washing machines on this trip, I basically packed as much clothes as I would normally have for a 5-day trip; then did laundry twice during this trip. However, I can *never* survive with a 17" or 18" suitcase like my parents. 19" is the smallest I can go! And sorry, I'm afraid I won't be at the GTG this weekend. I've been away for so long that I promised DH that I'd spend time with him when I return (he couldn't take that much time off to come to Switzerland with us).

Fifi, the auditorium is modern, as it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 1960s (the exterior shell survived the fire). It's really nothing to write home about with regards to the auditorium. We spent some time in the foyer, but then were ushered to the side staircase for our Balcony seats, so I can't tell you if it has a grand staircase or other details.

Like everyone, I am really enjoying this report! I love the details and the explanatory links & photos.

I am even now in Montreux, in an apartment for two weeks. It is like my second home; I also spent a semester here at a boarding school, in 1968. I believe those stalls only set up along the lake on market day, Friday. Or maybe on other days in the summer. I've been here for five days already and haven't seem them.

That gorgeous, lush, green landscape around Gstaad (between Montreux & Zweisimmen) is my favorite in the country. This year, I divided my time -- one week in Gstaad and two in Montreux. It's heaven for me.

swandav, your current trip sounds lovely! You are right, we were in Montreux on a Friday when we saw all those market stalls. Gstaad looks beautiful when our train passed through... isn't it where all the billionaires, royal families, and celebrities go? Are you one of them?

Johanna, we had the most beautiful weather in Lugano, and I took the most pictures there. But you'd have to wait a few days before I "get" to the Lugano chapter.

Today is the final day we have in the Interlaken/Berner Oberland region. rkkwan and our parents went to Jungfraujoch. I didn't go with them; one reason being I had already been there in 2003, another reason being that it costs 124 CHF for the trip, despite the Swiss Pass discount. I'd rather save some money and spend my time exploring other parts of Berner Oberland.

Since they were going to Jungfraujoch by way of Lauterbrunnen and Klein Scheidegg, I decided to take the train with them. At Lauterbrunnen, we switched to the Wengernalp cog railway for Kleine Scheidegg. However, I got off at Wengen, the last stop fully covered by the Swiss Pass.

It took me about an hour to get down (less time if I hadn't stop frequently for photos!) During the hour, I came across perhaps a dozen or so hikers heading uphill. Not an easy climb as it's a rather steep path!

At the point where the Staubbach Falls path merges with the main trail, is a shaded area with a stonewall and a water fountain with fresh-flowing water from the falls. I decided to make this my lunch spot; so there I was, sitting on the stonewall facing this gorgeous waterfall eating my picnic lunch. And with fresh water to wash down the food too! It couldn't get any better than this.

There are 2 more waterfalls on the west side of the valley after Staubbach Falls. There is a sign (in both German and English) at each place that provides information about the waterfall. About 25 minutes into the trail after my lunch break, the path turns eastward and crosses the valley floor and the Weisse Lütschine River to reach Trummelbach Falls on the east side of the valley.

When I arrived at the Trummelbach Falls entrance, I was rather perplexed: I couldn't see nor hear a waterfall. Admission is 11 CHF but I got 1 CHF off by using the Interlaken visitors card issued by our hotel. http://www.truemmelbachfaelle.ch/enmain2/main2.php

Instead of taking the elevator down, I walked down the steps built into the mountain-side to view the lower level falls. These run closer to the outside of the mountain.

There is a bus stop right outside of Trummelbach Falls' entrance, where you can take the bus to/from Lauterbrunnen. I decided to walk back. Instead of taking the same trail back, I chose a different one. This trail runs along the bank of the Weisse Lütschine river; not only it's quite scenic, it is also more shaded than the first one I took.

I am SO glad to find this! I was wondering if you had done it yet. Oh what a GREAT report and photos.

We LOVED Switzerland. We only stayed a few nights in Montreux in July of 2007. It was a "fill in" stop - as I needed to fill in several nights of our trip due to a huge change. We stayed right on the lake at the http://www.suisse-majestic.com/ which I think might actually be in one of your photos... as it was right in front of the ferry stop. We did walk to the Chateau de Chillon ~ and took the ferry back. It ended up being one of our favorite days on our trip and I have always wanted to return and experience more of Switzerland since that time.

Yes, Gstaad has been home to the richnfamous since about the 1950s, and folks like Julie Andrews, David Niven, Elizabeth Taylor have lived there. For that reason, they have the very best window-shopping (!) and dining that I've found in such a small village. They also have a small airstrip between it and Sannen where I've seen those little private jets land . . .

But luckily I found a 4-star hotel just steps away from the pedestrian street that goes for just 155 chf/night. And the hiking in the hills above town is stunning. They also have an incredible music festival in August.

In Montreux, I've found an apartment that sits in Veytaux just steps from my old school -- rents for about 400 chf/week!

Yeah, they were putting up the stalls along the lake last night -- it does have such a bad effect on the views, waaah. But the $10 ice cream cone was great, lol, and I enjoyed watching the people, children, dogs, and joggers parade by. ahhhhh

Our parents went up to Jungfraujoch on their honeymoon in 1970, and it was one of the highlights on their trip that time. So, it is a "must visit" place for our trip.

As yk mentioned, it's not cheap for the fare. Even after the Swiss Pass discount, it still cost 124CHF/each to cover the Wengernalbahn up to Klein Scheidegg, the r/t on the Jungfraubahn, and then the Wengernalbahn down the other way to Grindelwald. The fare would be a little lower if we came down the same way through Wengen/Lauterbrunnen.

While the Jungfraubahn is most well-known, as it goes to the highest train station in Europe at 3,454m/11,332ft; most of that route is inside a tunnel, INCLUDING the entire Jungfraujoch station. In fact, the Wengernalbahn are the more exciting and scenic rides. It's a cog railway with 800mm gauge (compared to 1 meter/1000mm for most narrow gauge rail in Switzerland), and as a result, the cars are narrower with 1-2 seating in 2nd class, vs 2-2 or even 3-2 (Rigi-Bahn).

Anyways, after seeing yk off at Wengen, we arrived Kleine Scheidegg at 10:49a, then switched to the Jungfraubahn for the 11:00a train. It made two 5-minute stops on the way up for viewing from inside the Eiger towards the Bernese Oberland, and then the Alestch Glacier. We arrived the top at 11:52a, exactly 3 hours after we departed Interlaken West.

Since it was almost lunch time, we headed straight to the Crystal Restaurant for a sit-down meal. Daily special was venison, the same thing my parents had on Jungfraujoch 40 years ago! The restaurant is on the 3rd floor above the train station, and has great view of Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier. Surprisingly, the cost is about the same in other sit-down restaurants on our trip. 110CHF for the three of us, with entree about 26CHF. Also surprising is that one of the servers is a Chinese guy. He went from Hong Kong to Germany in 1969, and he speaks fluent Cantonese with us.

[The building on Jungfraujoch that my parents visited in 1970 was burnt down just a year after that. The current building is much newer.]

After lunch, we did all the standard stuff - up the Sphinx Observatory, which at 3,571m/11,716ft, is the highest point in our journey. And then the ice-palace, as well as the older observation lookout. What we did NOT do is the 45-minute hike over to the Monchjochhutte for hot chocolate. The snowy path was wide and well-groomed, and the weather was splendid. But we didn't have appropriate footwear, and we didn't have time.

What surprised me was that I felt light-headed for a few times when I moved quickly up on Jungfraujoch. For those who didn't read my Tibet trip report, I spent 3 weeks in Tibet, topping out at 5,400m with no issue. But that was 3 months ago...

We left Jungfraujoch on the 3:30p train, arriving at Klein Scheidegg at 4:20p. Strangely, the downhill ride takes about the same time even without the two 5-minute stops. During the 13 minute transfer, my dad found some Mövenpick ice-cream to fill his daily quota.

The Klein Scheidegg - Grindelwald line of the Wengernalbahn is straighter than the Wenger side, but just as picturesque. I stood behind the driver for most of that ride just below the North Face of Eiger, and saw the speed was at 14km/h or 17km/h for most of the trip. Instead of connecting directly on the BOB back to Interlaken, we walked around Grindelwald for half an hour and took the next train.

One little bonus for our trip back to our hotel. We found the 18:31 IC 1088 for the shuttle from Interlaken Ost to IL West operated by Deutsche Bahn with an ICE1 trainset. First time I've been on a ICE and it is absolutely beautiful - significantly nicer than the Thalys, Eurostar Italia or Shinkansen sets I've been on recently. My parents even decided to try out one of those 6-person cabins for the 2-minute ride.

[Here's an interesting connection between my trip to Tibet and Switzerland this year. After coming back from Tibet in July, I rented the movie "Seven Years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt, and then decided to read the book by Heinrich Harrer, which I highly enjoyed and recommend. Harrer is the Austrian mountaineer that before ending up in Tibet at the end of WWII, was in the group that first climbed the North Face of Eiger in 1938, which is one of the deadliest climbs on earth.]

Fantastic summary YK & RK ! Your presentation with so much detail is flawless and definitely a wonderful plan to follow.
I like the way you give the negative pointers together with the positive routes you took.
Looking forward to the next instalment!

I wonder if the lightheadedness was merely due to the speed of the ascent. We all had headaches when we visited the Jungfraujoch. By contrast, when I was in Colorado a few years ago, I started in Boulder, then Breckenridge a few days later, then a brief visit to Leadville (highest incorporated city in the US, at a little over 10,000 feet) and was perfectly fine.

The IC trains are quite nice. We were on an ICN for part of the trip between Lake Como and Wengen and it tilts around corners - such a thrill!

flygirl - My lightheadedness was perfectly normal, since I was moving quickly. The rate of ascent wasn't even that acute, as I drove from sea-level to the top of Mauna Kea (4,205m/13,796ft) in 2 hours last year. But at that time I was more careful with my movement, so did when I did my Colorado Passes driving trip, also last year.

In fact, I was almost deliberately trying to see if my acclimation from Tibet was gone or not. Answer is an unequivocal YES.

MomDD, yup, your hotel is in one of my Montreux pictures. How lucky for you to stay at such a nice place!

tod & jdc26, thanks for reading and for your comments.

flygirl, we were very fortunate with weather indeed. The several days that we had the BEST weather, were the days that mattered most: up Jungfrau, Glacier Express ride, Bernina Express ride, and Lugano. Less than a week after we left Interlaken, I found out that it was cloudy AND snowing up on Jungfraujoch!

<MomDD, yup, your hotel is in one of my Montreux pictures. How lucky for you to stay at such a nice place!>

It was a wonderful wonderful trip YK... very good memories I cherish as I am not sure when we will be getting back - and trip reports like yours help to keep the memories fresh - so thank you for sharing! I was walking through the Chateau de Chillon again with you

We checked out of Swiss Inn in Interlaken, bidded goodbye to Veronica and her husband JP. JP gave us a ride to the train station.

Our plan today is to ride the famous Glacier Express. However, we didn't want to go to Zermatt ("a dead end" as Dad calls it). So, we decided to pick up the GE from Visp heading towards St Moritz.

From Interlaken, we first took a train to Spiez, then changed for a train to Visp. The second train was extremely crowded, despite it being a double-decker. In any case, the transfer was easy and seamless, very doable with our luggage.

We boarded the #904 - the earlier of the 2 daily GE trains towards St Moritz. As mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I had made seat reservations (33 CHF pp) for us a few weeks prior to our trip. The 904 has two 1st cl carriages, and three 2nd cl carriages. As far as we could tell, the entire train was full. There were 2 large tour groups in two of the three 2nd class carriages.

When I first boarded the train, my first impression was, << WOW! >> So much has changed since I last rode the GE in 2003! Back then, the train cars used were just ordinary carriages, with no bells or whistles whatsoever. My trip in 2003 was in end of May, and my train car was mostly empty.

In addition, at each pod (2x2 seats facing each other, with a table in between), there are GE route brochures, lunch menus, earphones, and a booklet showing which type of souvenirs are available for purchase on board. Each seat has a audio outlet for you to plug in the complimentary earphones to listen to the onboard commentary. There is choice of several languages, though we found many of the push buttons on the audio system don't work any more.

The scenery during the ride is obviously great, and we were extremely lucky to have perfect weather to experience this. The train passed along river valleys (both the Rhone and the Rhine), through tunnels, climbed over mountain passes, and traveled over viaducts. With the commentary, I found this 6.5-hr journey much more interesting than when I took it in 2003. Therefore, while the GE is very touristy, it was an improvement than what it was (IMHO).

Both tour groups got off at Chur, so our train car was pretty much empty. We were free to roam around and each got a window seat.

[Side note: I know some people here advoate riding regular trains for this route instead of the touristy Glacier Express. For us who want to cover most of the route in one day with luggage in tow, taking regular trains would be close to impossible, as many more train transfers are required. Therefore, for us, the GE worked out well as we could just sit back and relax after we boarded at Visp, and not had to get off until we reached our destination.]

We got off at Celerina, a small, quaint town *just* before St Moritz. Why? Because hotels in Celerina are 1/2 the price than hotels in St Moritz. I was a bit hesitant when I booked this, but after some research (w/lots of help from Ingo), Celerina is a viable option. Our hotel, All in One Hotel Inn Lodge, is a 12-min walk downhill from the Celerina train station. It is very doable for us, though it may be difficult for people with heavy suitcases.

After we checked in, we quickly left the hotel to catch a local bus over to St Moritz. Despite numerous visits to Switzerland, Dad has never been to St Moritz. The bus stop is a 5-min walk from our hotel, and the bus runs every 10 minutes. The center of St Moritz is just 4 stops away, a 7-min ride. We were in St Moritz in no time.

Even though our hotel room in Celerina has a kitchenette, we decided to eat dinner in St Moritz-Bad. We picked Siam Wind, a Thai restaurant inside Hotel Laudinella, as Mom was craving for Asian food. The hotel has 6-7 different restaurants serving various cuisines.

Our dinner was surprisingly good. Mom had beef fried rice, and she thought it was done better than many Chinese restaurants. It was nicely cooked but not oily. Dad had Laksa which he praised as well. rkkwan had ostrich curry, while I had catfish fillets in a lemon-chili sauce. We were even offered tap water by the waitstaff! It was a very satisfying meal for 115 CHF.

At night, the bus back to Celerina runs once every 30 minutes. Once we got on the bus, we were back at our hotel in 20 minutes.

Our hotel room is classified as Studio M. The entrance level has the bathroom and a living room with the kitchenette. The sofa in the living room can be turned into a double bed. Up a flight of stairs is a loft with 2 twin beds. There is also a table in the living room with 4 chairs, but space is tight when the bed is opened up for sleeping. It is a bit cramped for 4 of us, but since we were there for 1 night only, it was fine.

9:36-10:02 IC 812 Spiez to Visp (SBB, standard gauge)
This train comes from Romanshorn on the Bordensee in NE Switzerland, and goes to Brig. We would ride it through the new 35km/21mi Lötschberg Base Tunnel, currently longest land tunnel in the world. This train uses bi-level cars, but was still packed and we had to stand.

10:25-16:53 D 904 Visp to Celerina (MGB/RhB, meter gauge, cog in steep MGB portion only)
This is the famous Glacier Express with mandatory reservations. The train is run by MGB until Disentis, then switch to RhB's crew. Our train also combined there with the Davos section till Chur, before separating again.]

I found the Glacier Express ride extremely interesting, in fact, at times it was sensory overload. I can also understand why some may find it boring, and in fact, I saw some people on our train that looks utterly bored by the time we got to Chur.

To analyze it, there are four main things that makes it interesting. Food and service, scenery, geography, and technical aspects. For myself, all are super exciting, especially the geography part. But my guess is that quite a few on the train don't know/care about that, along with the technical aspects of the train/route. Just too bad for them.

Thanks again to you both for this detailed, very interesting trip report. Love it!

Glad you liked the lodge in Celerina. The rooms look like I expected them to look ... quite industrial charm IMO, LOL. But fine for one night, agreed.

I am blown away you had dinner at Siam Wind in Hotel Laudinella. I used to stay there on my frequent Engadin visits between mid 1990s and, say, 2005. I liked the hotel very much until they did some changes (additional wing, lobby, restaurants) for the downhill ski World Championships. I always booked through a German travel company (Neckermann) and got great rates, like 50 - 60 Euro per night and person incl. half-board, and stay 7, pay 6 nights. Half-board meant I could have dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants of my choice, each night picking a different one. GREAT! The Siam Wind was not my favourite (I am not much into Thai food) although it is quite famous and I must admit the food was very good.

As for the GE - I've taken that route too often (both train and car), so it's quite boring for me. For someone who travels it first or second time it must be very interesting/scenic. IMO the Bernina Express is more spectacular, but that's subjective, of course.

Ingo - I think you'll hear what yk and I think about the GE vs BE comparison. But to me it's exciting that you can start the day in the Rhone Valley, cross two high passes, then down the source of the most important river in Western Europe, go up another spectacular line again and into the Danube watershed.

And went from French region to German to Romanash. All within same ride inside one tiny country. That's absolutely fascinating.

BTW, want to add that we did get off twice during the trip - at Disentis and Chur where they switch crews and engines.

With the BE (from Chur to Tirano) you cross two high passes, too (well, almost, since the train takes a tunnel under the Albula), "from the most important river in Western Europe, go up another spectacular line again and into the Danube watershed" and then, after going over the Bernina pass descend down to the river that flows into the Adriatic sea. So that's also travelling through three different, major water systems in Europe. And with the BE you go from German to Romansch to Italian. On an even shorter train ride.

See, in these regards they are quite similar. Everyone is of course free to like one or the other better. More people travel on the GE, but I suspect it has more to do with the famous starting/end points Zermatt and St. Moritz, the longer tradition of the train and the marketing.

Ingo, we didn't mind the somewhat sterile/industrial look of the InnLodge. The bare concrete walls did a great job of sound-proofing: we didn't hear any noise at night. I think the InnLodge is not for people who are looking for rustic charm, but for us, it was more than adequate, esp at the low rate we paid.

As for GE vs BE, I now have taken both twice, and I still much prefer BE over GE. What I wrote in my last installment is that I find GE more interesting this time around, esp with the commentary and route maps provided by the "tourist train".

BC, I have a feeling that most people here didn't know either. We tend to travel to different places/continents.

Yk, I'm glad to know it's just not me. I've enjoyed your posts, and also have enjoyed posts your brother has written on his journeys to Italy as well as Asia. What a terrific report this has been--wonderful, practical info as well as your impressions. It's been lovely.

Day 8
After our short one-night stay in Celerina, we packed up in the AM to catch a regional train to Tirano. This stretch of railway is a UNESCO world heritage site, and like the Glacier Express, there is a tourist train called the Bernina Express. http://www.rhb.ch/index.php?id=33?&L=4

The official BE has few stops, and it doesn't stop in Celerina. We were more than happy to take a regular train anyway, as it doesn't require mandatory seat reservation (which the official BE does). The Bernina Express route goes through the smaller Celerina-Staz station, conveniently located just 5 minutes away from our hotel over flat terrain. As a result, we didn't have to hike back up to the main Celerina station.

I have read that the Celerian-Staz station is a "by request" stop, so we got to the station fairly early for our 9:48am train. My understanding is that normally, the info booth has 3 buttons:
• STOP
• CALL
• LISTEN (for info)

Fortunately, there were others (Swiss tourists) waiting for the same train. They told us the train would be stopping here after they had listened to the announcement (by pushing the <LISTEN> button on the info booth).

9:48am came and went. One minute passed, 2 minutes passed, 3 minutes passed... and still no train. It's unusual for Swiss trains to be late! Then, we heard the sound of an approaching train, so we all got our luggage ready... and the train just zipped right past us! We were all in shock initially, then on closer inspection, we saw it was the official BE train. It was supposed to leave St Moritz at 9:34am (and goes through Celerina a few minutes later). So, the BE train is running late. Since it's the "express" train with fewer stops, it has to go on the tracks before our slower, regional train can run.

Now, one of the Swiss couples noticed a blinking blue light at the info booth. They pushed the <LISTEN> button again. This time, there is a new recording informing us that *our* train would be late.

Our regional train arrived over 10 minutes late. This is the most delay we experienced during our 2-week trip (not counting the lake ferries). While the regional train doesn't have the bells & whistles that the tourist train provides (no earphones, no commentary), it does have a route brochure with descriptions so we can read it ourselves. At each table is a route map: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Switzerland%20Sept%202010/IMG_6355.jpg

Another plus of the regional train is that approx 1/3 of the windows can be lowered, so we can take photos without the terrible glare we encountered the day before on the GE train.

When our train arrived at Pontresina 20 minutes later, we were shocked to see the entire platform was full - mostly Swiss hikers. We were thankful we got on at Celerina and had a booth to ourselves. The train became packed and many had to stand. Most of them got off just before or right at Bernina Pass (Ospizio Bernina).

Our train managed to catch up along the way and we arrived at Tirano right on time. Although there are no luggage lockers at the Tirano train station, we were able to leave our suitcases at the rail office for 5 CHF each. [They only charged us 10 CHF for our 4 small suitcases.]

We picked one that is famous for its pizzas, only to find out that pizzas are not available today. Dad got risotto with salmon-trout; Mom had bratwurst with lasagna and fries; rkkwan had deer schnitzel w/polenta; and I had Scaloppine alla milanese. Every dish was very heavy with tons of starch. It was amazing we were able to get out of our chairs! (lunch was 63 euro).

Ristorante Bernina
Via Roma 24
23037 Tirano, Italy

After lunch, we wandered around town before returning to the station for our luggage and our Bernina Express BUS to Lugano. The bus requires seat reservation (12 CHF pp). I was shocked to find 2 coaches - this route is definitely in much higher demand than before.

The final stretch of the route is on a road that hugs the Lake Lugano shoreline. With mountain cliffs on one side and the lake on the other, the road is barely wide enough for 2 lanes of traffic. More often than not, traffic is at a standstill because some parts can only allow one vehicle to pass through.

The traffic on this stretch was TERRIBLE, much much worse than what I encountered in 2003. We wonder if it's because Switzerland has joined Schengen, making it hassle-free for Swiss and Italians to pass between borders, so many more people are driving this route now? At times, I swear the bus was going to get scratched, either by rocks on the cliff-side or by the oncoming vehicle from the other direction.

Once we passed the border back into Switzerland, the traffic jam disappears. Even though the terrain hasn't changed, on the Swiss side, instead of winding narrow roads, we get bridges and tunnels wherever it is necessary.

I cannot be more amazed when we arrived at Lugano right on schedule: not a minute early, not a minute late.

[9:48-12:21 R 1621 Celerina Staz to Tirano, Italy (RhB, meter gauge)
We rode a regular local train instead of the Bernina Express panorama car, over the Bernina Pass. Tirano is last stop on line, just a few km over the border.

14:25-17:30 BUS 5951 Tirano, Italy to Lugano (coach run by Postbus)
Two coaches run together through the top of Lake Como to Lugano. All in Italy except last few km.]

P.S. I realize that I'm getting more and more verbose with each installment. I tried to be succinct, but it just didn't work out. I'm hoping all these minute details I included will be helpful to someone some day...

To me, I also found the BE route more scenic and amazing. If one has to choose to ride on one, it's the BE. Or better yet, ride the whole route that's been designated as UNESCO World Heritage site - i.e. from just south of Chur down to Tirano.

A small correction. The Bernina Pass rail is not the highest railroad without using cog. The Tibet-Qinghai railroad doesn't use cog. Instead the Bernina route is the steepest at 7% grade, without using cog. At least according to Rhaetian Rail.

For the Bernina Express Buses, our coach (1st bus) has the red BE livery, while the 2nd coach right behind has regular yellow Postbus livery. But both are run by Postbus. And with the signature A C# E post horn.

Before we left Lake Como, we could see Bellagio. Even though I had been to Como before, I didn't cruise up to Bellagio. yk says that in 2003, the bus made a rest stop at that point, but our bus now runs non-stop to Lugano.

As for the traffic on that highway along Lake Lugano, it is exactly the same situation as on the Amalfi Coast Road. Those who've driven or rode on that will know exactly what I'm talking about. On my trip there a few years ago, it took me like 2.5 hours to get from Amalfi to Salerno (25km), averaging 10km/h or 6MPH.

BTW, I'm still wondering to this day what was the chance of our bus getting from Tirano to Lugano train station in exactly 185 minutes. Like yk said, not a minute more or less.

I have Switzerland envy! I'm enjoying your report so far as well as the gorgeous pictures.

Yes, yk, I only can spend 1 day in Geneva. It's an actual day trip from Paris. I'm leaving early and returning late. There is much to see and to do. I mentioned some of the things I wanted to do to someone at the Boston GTG and they stopped me after listing only 3 things! I guess I'll have to wait and see what I can accomplish in about 9 hours.

Day 8 continued
The Bernina Express bus dropped us off at Lugano's train station, which is located 1/2 way up the hill. It was fairly easy to get to our hotel, Hotel San Carlo, on Via Nassa. A quick ride on the funicular down the hill, followed by a 5-min walk.

Our hotel cannot be at a better location. Right on Via Nassa, it's convenient to everything: 1 block to the lake, 5-min walk to Piazza Riforma or the funicular base station. Surrounding the hotel are high-end fashion boutiques and luxury watch stores. Since the room rate at San Carlo is quite affordable, it's not surprising that the rooms are small. I booked a "family room" which has a double + 2 twins. The room is so tight that we can barely all fit in. The only chairs are 2 small stools. Oh well, it's only for 2 nights anyway.

Dinner that night was another heavy Italian fare. We ate at Ristorante Caffè Commercianti because they have a special "fungi" menu. So we all ordered mushrooms: Mom had cream of mushroom soup, Dad had mushroom risotto, rkkwan had mushroom pizza, and I had mushroom gnocchi. Dinner was 115 CHF.

The included breakfast at the hotel is very basic but adequate. A bread basket, juice, choice of tea/coffee, and various kinds of cheese and jams. There is also a fruit bowl that gets replenished frequently. However, there is no yogurt or cereal or cold cuts.

Today is the 8th and final day of our Swiss Pass. After breakfast, we hopped on the Lake Lugano ferry for a cruise. Our ferry's final destination is Ponte Tresa. This route departs from Lugano, heads south, then west, and finally north. Lake Lugano is sort of U-shaped to the west of Lugano.http://www.lakelugano.ch/en/10/homepage.aspx

Back in the Swiss section of Ponte Tresa, we got on the local commuter train and headed back to Lugano. We had a mediocre sandwich lunch at a kiosk at the train station, then took the funicular back down to the old town.

Our next stop is Monte Brè, located to the east of Lugano. We first took a bus towards Cassarate at the foot of Monte Brè, then changed for the Monte Brè funicular. http://www.montebre.ch/

We followed another path which took us to Brè Villagio station in about 20 minutes. Brè Villagio is one stop below the summit funicular station.

We returned to Lugano in the same fashion as we came. Since it was still early enough in the afternoon, we were able to catch another Lake Lugano ferry, this time heading east to Gandria. Gandria is a small town that is built right into the mountain-side. As a result, all the "streets" are steps or incline that lead you up. We spent our 45-min layover time climbing up and down Gandria, before taking the next ferry back to Lugano. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Switzerland%20Sept%202010/IMG_6551.jpg

Dinner that evening is at La Tinera, a place where I ate at in 2003 and enjoyed. The restaurant is particularly difficult to find. I was unable to locate it the night before, but tonight, we had no trouble with the help of rkkwan's GPS phone. What we ate: one daily special (beef sausages with noodles), osso buco, prosciutto w/melon, a minestrone, and a mixed salad. For dessert, we shared 2 zabaione w/ice-cream, a dish recommended by fellow diners when I ate here in 2003. It is made with egg yolk, and involves whipping the yolk by hand until it's light and foamy. Dinner was 106 CHF.

La Tinera
Via dei Gorini 2
6900 Lugano

Just before we reached our hotel on Via Nassa, there is a swanky stage set up on the street for a black-tie soiree. It is the grand opening of Les Ambassadeurs, a Swiss chain that sells luxury watches and jewelry. Beautiful people in beautiful clothes were streaming in and out of the flagship store, sipping champagne and eating hors d'oeuvres. Too bad we weren't dressed nice enough to crash the party.

Your day in Lugano was quite busy! LOL I remember standing on top of Monte Bre on a hot summer day and looking down at Lugano and the lake ... fantastic (except for the heat). I thought the village Bre was cute. And Morcote ... love it!

Since our Swiss Rail Pass has expired, our plan for the next few days is to rent a car and tour the NE section of Switzerland plus neighboring Liechtenstein. These areas are not as easy to get to by train or public transport anyway.

We had an hour to kill in Lugano in the morning, so we hiked up the hill to take a look at Lugano's Cathedral. There was a service going on when we arrived, so we didn't stay long.

rkkwan & I then and we took a bus to the Europcar outlet to pick up the car, while Mom and Dad waited for us at the hotel. The whole thing was PITA. First, our car wasn't ready at our requested time (11am). Since the company assigns a particular car to each customer, they can't just give us a different car even if it's available. When our car finally showed up 30 minutes late, the cigarette lighter/car charger doesn't work. This is a problem for us as we need to plug in our GPS. We were told to bring the car around to the garage so the staff can look at it.

It took 3 people and 30 minutes to locate and identify the blown fuse. If we had known this was the problem, rkkwan & I probably could have fixed this ourselves in 5 minutes.

Finally, we were ready to go after a 1-hr delay. We arrived at Bellinzona, the capital of Ticino, around lunch time. Bellinzona is famous for its 3 castles: together with the fortifications, they are a UNESCO World Heritage site. What's unique about Bellinzona is its geographic location. Situated in a valley, it is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The valley is the major crossroads of both St Gotthard and San Bernardino passes. The 3 castles and the fortifications form a chain across the valley floor, controlling all traffic passing through it.

But first, it's lunch time. A Migros supermarket is conveniently located next to Castelgrande and the parking garage. Inside the supermarket is a take-out counter that sells pizzas, sandwiches, and pastries. Our lunch was 22 CHF.

Castelgrande is the largest of the 3 castles, located on the valley floor (the other 2 are situated on the hill). The castle grounds and its ramparts are open to the public for free, while the towers and the castle museum charge admission. We didn't have time for the exhibits, so we just wandered around the grounds (which is huge).

Our lodging for the next few nights is located at Walensee, towards the NE part of Switzerland. To get there, we have to get through the San Bernardino Pass. Normally, one can take the autobahn which cuts through the mountain via the 4-mile-long San Bernardino tunnel. But we (specifically, rkkwan) decided that we should climb up the mountain the old way, using the original road. This translates to lots and lots of hairpin turns on either side of the pass (2066m). At the very top, we stopped briefly for a photo-op.

The weather was not pleasant that day with low clouds, so essentially, we were driving through clouds. It was cold and windy; I suspect it was around freezing with the windchill. There is a lake at the top, and that's where we saw the strangest sight: a woman was sitting on a bench next to the lake, eating lunch, with a suitcase on her side. How did she get up here (no other cars around)? What is she doing here, at freezing temperature? Our guess is, perhaps she took the Post Bus here and is now waiting for the next bus? We know that the Post Bus definitely goes over the pass, as we saw one on our way down.

I wouldn't have found this without help from several Fodorites (THANK YOU - you know who you are). I rented from interhome.de. They are easy to deal with; in fact, since I used the .de website, our price was quoted in Euro. The total price (after conversion) is lower than if I had rented from interhome.ch, which lists rates in CHF.

The apartment is wonderful. With 3 bedrooms, it's nice to have so much space to spread out, especially after 3 nights of rather cramped accommodation. The onwers are very nice but not intrusive. They live in the lower-level of the same house. They have a dog and a cat, but the dog is so well-trained that we never hear him bark. The apt looks exactly like the photos on the rental webpage. Kitchen is well-equipped (a real kitchen, not a tiny kitchenette!). The owners have a laptop hooked up in the living room for our use. Wifi is available as well.

Lugano is one of my favorite hideaways. There's apparently a law in Switzerland that every city must by on a lake that's surrounded by mountains, and Lugano is no exception to the rule. What sets it apart for me is the seemingly impossible combination of Swiss and Italian cultures: they would seem to be polar opposites, but somehow it works. (I'm sure that at least one of the OPs would understand if I referred to it as Recondita Armonia.)

And now I also have some insight as to why, in a different thread, rkkwan was so well-informed about the best way to pick someone up who is arriving at BOS and heading toward the southern suburbs -- I'd have thought the info he provided was very local knowledge.

I know it was definitely a blown fuse. But I am not familiar with VW, so I'd rather have Europcar's guy deal with the problem. It'd have taken me a few minutes as well since 1) the fuse box location is different from Japanese cars; 2) the fuses were only numbered on the fuse box cover, but not the actual description, for that one has to refer to the manual; and 3) that manual is like a binder and not a book and is in German.. Hahaha.

Driving up St Bernadino Pass was fun. I had long planned on a driving trip to hit all the famous Alpine passes. This was a little appetizer for me.

The dog of our rental owner is a full-sized Berner Sennenhund (Bernese Mountain Dog). And they also have 14 huge Blue Pomeranian ducks that they've raised from ducklings.

After a week of clear blue skies and warm weather, the rain clouds rolled in overnight. We are definitely glad that we now have a rental car and aren't lugging our suitcases onto trains and trams for the next few days.

Our first stop was Bad Ragaz, a famous spa resort in Heidiland. http://www.spavillage.ch/en/welcome.cfm The reason we are here is because Dad visited Bad Ragaz almost 50 years ago, in 1962. He was visiting a friend who's from here. The friend had a pilot license, so he took Dad up for a spin on his plane from the tiny air strip in Bad Ragaz.

Vaduz, the capitol of Liechtenstein, is quite small and not particularly charming. All the tourist attractions are clustered within a few blocks. The only exception is Vaduz Castle, perched on the cliff above the town center. The tourist office happens to be offering a traditional dance show, so we watched it for a while. One can get a Liechtenstein stamp in your passport at the TI for a fee, and the TI sells all sorts of stamps.
Traditional folk dance: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Switzerland%20Sept%202010/IMG_6595.jpg

Along the tourist stretch, there are only a few restaurant to choose from. Most are quite expensive, except for Burg Brasserie where we ate. Although the name and decor is French, they serve Italian fare. We had a couple of pastas, bratwurst, and soup. Lunch was 70 CHF.

We returned to our car and continued on the main road heading north. It didn't take long before we reached the northern end of Liechtenstein; over the border is Austria. We rejoined the autobahn and headed for Bregenz.

Bregenz, Austria is right on the eastern end of Bodensee (Lake Constance). The only thing I know about Bregenz is its famous summer opera festival (Bregenzer festspiele). http://www.bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/

Many of the shops and restaurants in this summer resort town have already closed up for the season. But we were able to find a cafe for some cake and coffee. Food is much cheaper in Germany. Dad finally got his wish for German-style cheesecake, while rkkwan had a delicious apple strudel with ice cream.

I mentioned it in a response to a recent thread on Liechtenstein, but will repeat here. The best place to "view" the whole country is probably from the south-bound service area on A13/E43 on the Swiss side of the Rhein, between exits 8 and 9. There, you can see Vaduz Castle clearly, and the beautiful mountains behind it.

Still reading your report with great enjoyment YK & RK!
This is definitely a plan to follow - maybe at the end of your report you would give us a short note of anything you would change/not go for in retrospect.
You are obviously great planners and do your research thoroughly, but even then sometimes one realizes things could have worked out better if only we had..........

We then left for St Gallen, famous for its Abbey and library of St Gall. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its library collection. The city of St Gallen was very, very quiet on this Sunday. All shops, as well as most restaurants, are closed. We wandered around for quite some time before we found a sandwich place that's open. We had a couple of sandwiches and quiche for 30 CHF.

Vögeli-Beck
Spisergasse 25
9000 St Gallen

The Baroque Hall of the library is open to visitors. It is not that large - but of course lined with old and rare books. There is a replica of a 16th-century globe (original is in Zurich), and around 8 display cases showing some of the rare books. The library reminds me of the library at Melk Abbey.
[No photography allowed inside the Library.]http://www.stiftsbibliothek.ch/site/content.asp?typ=Actual&lang=EN

After the library, we stopped inside the Cathedral next door, then got some roasted chestnut from a vendor on the street before we picked up our car.

Day 13
Rapperswil
Today is our last full day in Switzerland. We packed our luggage and said goodbye to our lovely hosts in Unterterzen, then drove towards Zurich. Along the way, we stopped at Rapperswil. Because we took the "scenic route" by mistake, we only had 20 minutes to spare in Rapperswil.

Day 13 continued
The reason we were so rushed in Rapperswil is that we had to return our rental car in Zurich by 11am. We arrived at the location just when the church bells were ringing for 11AM.

rkkwan & I then walked to our hotel - we had already dropped off our parents + luggage there.

We ate lunch at a Chinese Dim Sum take-away place near the Hauptbahnhof. Food prices in Zurich are even higher than the rest of Switzerland. A rice plate was 15 CHF. We shared 2 rice plates and a "dim sum platter".

"Dim Sum Take-Away"
Corner of Bahnhofquai and Walche Bruke

I know Zurich doesn't get much "love" here, but truthfully, I like the Zurich old town a lot. IMHO, Zurich is worth at least a half day for sightseeing. The old town area around Lindenhof is very quiet and quaint; with narrow streets lined with cute, independent shops and boutiques.

Our Zurich hotel is Hotel Leoneck. I've stayed here in 2003 and quite like its location. This time, I booked a family room for 4. I was a bit apprehensive after our cramped room in Lugano, but here, the room is quite spacious. One half has 2 twins plus a work desk. The other half has a double bed, a coffee table plus 2 chairs. There is a sliding door which can be opened/closed between the 2 halves.

A huge bonus about Leoneck's location is that tram #10 runs in front of our hotel, and it goes directly to the airport. There is a stop right at the hotel's front entrance. It's the most convenient and economical way to get to the airport.

The major downside of the hotel, is also the tram line. The street has a sharp turn so all the trams screech as they go pass. You really have to be a sound sleeper not to be disturbed by the noise. Although the trams don't run at night, it starts running around 6am.

Our final dinner in Switzerland was sort of a disaster. We saw a place (in Niederdorf) advertising cheese fondue and other traditional Swiss dishes. We went in, only to find it a bar instead of restaurant. The owner said yes, they have fondue, then disappeared. He was half-drunk anyway. Although we wanted to have fondue, we didn't want it for all 4 of us. We were planning on ordering fondue for 2, then 2 other dishes. But apparently, the bar doesn't has its own kitchen, and the owner/bartender gets all the food from a different restaurant nearby. By the time the owner reappeared, he had already placed 4 fondue orders with the other restaurant.

Apart from the drunk owner, there were several other drunks in the bar.

So, we all had fondue and called it a night. It was not bad, but not really something I want to eat as my entire dinner. The upside of this "mistake" was that the bill was suprisingly cheap - only 67.50 CHF total.

Day 14
We checked out of the hotel fairly early, then took tram #10 to the airport. The fare is 6.20CHF per person; the ticket machine takes coins only. The ride to the airport was just over 30 minutes.

rkkwan and our parents "guested" me into the Swiss Lounge at the Zurich airport. It is very nice - spacious, airy, and good breakfast spread. They had an uneventful flight back to Houston (via EWR), while I found out my ZRH-JFK flight on AA had been cancelled. Eventually, I was rebooked on ZRH/LHR/JFK, arriving at JFK 7 hours later than originally scheduled.

In case you're wondering, yes, my final destination for my return trip was JFK. I stayed in Manhattan for 3 nights with my friends and saw 2 operas at the Met, before taking the el cheapo Megabus from NY to Boston.

A great trip report, thanks for taking the time (both of you). You covered quite a lot of ground in Switzerland (and neighbouring countries) and brought back many good memories. I also like Zürich a lot. Btw, I stayed across the street from Leoneck (Comfort Inn Royal) and had a room off the street which was very welcome as I am a light sleeper.

Too bad about Rapperswil! It is a delightful small town and good for at least two hours to stroll, even better to take more time. Sorry about Rorschach, next time try Arbon instead.

Living only 30 min. away from Rapperswil, I've been there a few times. For families, the Rapperswil zoo, sponsored by the Swiss circus family Knie, is a magnet. A delightful smallish zoo for smaller children. The old town of Rapperswil is indeed delightful. Chock full of history, I found the architecture more appealing than the "roses". In fact, during an organised tour a few years ago, I was surprised that they market themselves as the rose city. However, this has more to do with its history than the number of roses in the city. There are a few roses and there is a rose garden, but I find the location, the castle and the old town much more interesting.

CPG - gosh, I don't know! My parents travel quite a lot independently; I'll have to see what's on their wish list next.

Here are some of my final thoughts on Switzerland.

• Gorgeous natural scenery, with its mountains and lakes
• Even though many towns are located on the lakeshore (Geneva, Lugano, Luzern, Zurich just to name a few), every one is very different from the other.
• We took ferries on 4 different lakes on this trip; again, each lake is unique.
• Though a small country, its various regions and cultures are very diverse.
• The country is very tourist-friendly.
• I love the efficiency and punctuality. Most of the trains/trams/buses are on time, or just 1-2 minutes late at most.
• In the cities, there is very little traffic jam. Public transport moves people around quickly and efficiently. This is a huge contrast to the chaos I encountered when I ended my trip in Manhattan.
• Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. We did not meet one single rude person.
• Switzerland is very expensive, especially when it comes to hotel accommodation and food prices. We circumvented these 2 issues by
1) Staying in a family room for 4 instead of 2 rooms
2) Staying in an apt when possible
3) Picking accommodations that have kitchenettes so we can cook some of our meals. In general, the cost of one main dish at a restaurant is enough to feed the 4 of us if we cook on our own.

First, a note about Zurich. I was also pleasantly surprised by what it had to offer. And locals dress very smart and sophisticated, especially along Banhofstrasse.

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As for the trip itself, I echo all of yk's thoughts, but will add a few of my own:

The diversity of the country really surprised me. The different regions are so distinct from each other, yet each is still un-mistakenly "Swiss". In fact, if someone could only visit ONE Western European country in his/her own life, I'd highly recommend Switzerland, as in a way it is a bit like going to Germany, France and Italy all-in-one.

We didn't encounter any single problem for a complicated 2-week trip, with everybody helpful and friendly like yk said. That was itself remarkable. In my travels around the world, the only place I find comparable is Japan.

Driving was easy. Well, we also had TWO GPSes with us, but still I had no problem finding my ways, and to find parking spaces or garage anywhere. It is a country that I would absolutely love to drive in again. Next time, I'd do all the major mountain passes.

The stay at the rental in Unterterzan was very very lovely, and the Heidiland region is very nice and scenic, and I knew nothing about it before this trip. I wouldn't mind just staying in that area for a week and do some hiking and visiting the smaller towns there.

Anyways, my parents had a lot of fun, especially my dad. Revisiting lots of places he had visited 40-50 years ago at his age (75), and chatting with locals (mostly in German) - yk and I are still too young to understand that feeling.

Finally got a chance to read the first half in detail and look at all the photos. I didn't know anything about Switzerland before, but now I want to visit Geneva and Lausanne.

I like your monochromatic water and sky shots -- the blue one of Ouchy, the green one of Lake Brienz, and also the gray one from Chillon. How did the inside of the chateau look? The open air museum sounds fascinating. Hard to believe the photo from Mt Rigi wasn't from an airplane!

Fabulous colors on that red-shuttered Wengen house with the "Fondue Raclette" sign, and the photo of the potted plants on stacked wood is so beautiful. Looks like you got more detail shots when you took off on your own? The Staubbach Falls photo with houses on the bottom (img_6429) should be made into a poster and framed.

I'm amazed that you could pull off such an active itinerary with parents in tow, and that they pack lighter than you! (I'm the only light-packer in my family, despite being the clotheshorse).

Still savoring the dark chocolate. Cailler 80% now joins Poulain 86% and Julius Meinl Edelbitterschokolade on my list of favorites. Now I have to go out and buy some cheese.

Yes, those are definitely the steps that lead to the terrace of Hotel Schonegg. Too bad you didn't know about this hotel before you left for Switzerland. The chef of the hotel, Hubert Mayer, is one of the best chefs in Europe. You should have had lunch there.

I am starting to post pics from this trip. So far, only for the flights and Day 1. This will take a while to complete since I still have photos from my Tibet trip in June to process. So, check back once in a while:

I thoroughly enjoyed your report, YK and rkkwan. I've taken several trips to Switzerland and never tire of it. I agree that old town Zurich should not be skipped. I'll be ending my next trip there. I've also been wanting to visit Rapperswil, but alas, it will have to wait.